Since the rise of the Internet age, our way of life has evolved beyond what we formerly thought possible. These changes have been felt in every facet of human life, and businesses are no exception. Online communication and information dissemination have become not just the present but also the future. Back in the day, businesses and organizations relied on physical structures and systems for storage, planning, communication, and marketing. While the old system worked well for many, it had its own fair share of flaws.

The old offline system has been replaced by the new digital era powered by avant-garde technology, which has effectively improved service delivery for many businesses.  For consumer service businesses, an online presence has opened them up to the limitless potential for growth and profits. In this article, we will review 5 businesses in different industries that have adopted an online approach to service delivery, thereby helping consumers save a lot of time and money.

1.      The Legal profession

The Legal profession cannot be classified as an industry in its most basic sense, but we can all agree that legal experts in the thousands serve the interests of millions of people and earn a living by doing so. In recent times, we have witnessed significant adoption of online platforms by experts and justice seekers. Gone are the days when plaintiffs or defendants had to go through a long and monotonous process to file their cases in court. Today, this can be done within minutes over the internet. A perfect example of an online business using digital technology to simplify legal processes is onlinedivorce.com.

Onlinedivorce.com

This platform is not a law firm. It is an online service that affords divorce seekers the opportunity to submit divorce papers in accordance with their unique circumstances without having to leave their homes. It cuts out the stressful bureaucracy experienced by individuals in courthouses, thereby helping them save time and money in the process. The online divorce platform helps divorce seekers with divorce document preparation at a cheap rate and also offers them support with filing the papers. So there is no need to spend lots of money hiring expensive divorce attorneys.

2.      Real Estate

How times have changed. The real estate industry we used to know is not what it is today. In fact, things are so different now that the industry has become almost unrecognizable. How so? In the past, all real estate companies, property owners, developers, and agents had to meet in person with potential renters interested in their properties. If property seekers did not meet with representatives of real estate companies in person, a transaction could never take place. Due to the rise in the number of internet users, real estate companies that formerly operated offline have now gravitated towards a 100% online approach to soliciting potential tenants.

-        Airbnb

Airbnb is one of the most popular online real estate platforms. Airbnb has simply taken traditional property marketing online. This platform connects property owners with property seekers searching for accommodation in their locale. Currently, Airbnb has an online presence in 191 countries and over 81,000 cities worldwide.

3.      Entertainment

No other industry uses the internet, like the entertainment industry. The Entertainment industry was one of the early adopters of the 21st-century internet, and it has grown in leaps and bounds because of it. Some would even argue that without the internet, this industry wouldn't be worth close to what it is today. Companies that once struggled to stay afloat now rake in billions in revenues since they can market their contents to millions of viewers all over the world by breaking geographical and language barriers. Some entertainment enterprises still use traditional mediums such as television and billboards, but consumer preferences have led to many of them building their online presence to compensate for the frailties of traditional media. Today, we witness countless examples of music videos, movie trailers, or adverts going viral simply because they were posted online by their creators.

-        Netflix

Netflix is a perfect example of an offline business that later went online with remarkable success. Founded in 1997 by entrepreneurs, Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, the company that commenced operations in Scotts Valley, California has metamorphosed into a multi-billion dollar online entertainment platform. When Netflix started initially, it was solely a web-based movie rental company allowing people to rent DVDs online for a fee. Over the last decade, the company has shifted its business focus from DVD rentals to online movie streaming. Online streaming has saved consumers the time required to visit video stalls to rent movies, as it has proven to be the most economical choice.

4.      Retail

The retail industry is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of social media and IOTs. Working in conjunction with delivery service companies, buyers need not visit retailers to purchase items in person. This can be done today over the internet with just a click of a button. The beautiful aspect of online retail marketing is that no business is shut out. Small and medium-sized businesses have also found success in marketing their products online and reaping the financial rewards therein.

-        Target

Retail stores like Target used to rely on customers walking into their stores to make a purchase. As the retail merchant gradually expanded its online digital footprints, many more customers began to place orders online, which is more conducive and stress-free.

5.      Education

For centuries, conventional schools and practices were the norm. To learn a subject or a skill, the teacher and the student had to be in one place at the same time for knowledge transference. Who would have thought that a time like this would come when students didn't have to sit in front of a teacher to learn any subject of interest. The education industry has continued to evolve as an essential component of society. So much, so that academic institutions, educators, and students are increasingly adopting E-learning platforms to broaden their teaching and learning experience.

Today, students no longer have to take extended trips to classrooms and lecture theaters to gain knowledge. All that is required to learn are three basic things: a device, an internet connection, and the zeal to learn. How is that for a change?

-        Udemy 

Udemy is an online platform designed for industry professionals and students. Since May 2010, when it was launched, Udemy has bridged the gap between purveyors of knowledge and knowledge seekers. On E-learning platforms like Udemy, you can learn just about anything from academic courses to self-help skills. The potential for intellectual growth is limitless. As of today, there are over 50 million students enrolled on the platform, along with more than 57,000 certified instructors teaching courses in over 65 world languages. And there have been more than 295 million course enrollments since inception.

Conclusion

As many more communities connect with the internet, the number of businesses moving from offline to online platforms will continue to increase. This shift in focus and approach offers businesses and consumers limitless opportunities. Businesses will be able to expand their market reach by marketing to a wider audience, and consumers will have the benefit of choice when shopping for products and services.